This application is submitted with a computer-readable diskette of the text of Appendix A in Microsoft Word 7.0, which, when printed, includes thirty sheets. Appendix A is a program listing of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
The present invention relates to the manufacture of covers for articles of uniform and non-uniform shape, for example furniture, and the described embodiment discloses a method of manufacturing covers for lounges, chairs, sofa beds and the like.
It is often desired to re-cover items of upholstered furniture to improve their appearance.
It is known to provide ready-made loose covers which are manufactured to a single style of lounge, for example. When such covers are fitted to a lounge of slightly varying style, an inappropriate fit is obtained which is not preferred. Because of the range of furniture styles currently available, and because such styles may not coincide with styles of times past, it is not economic to manufacture a satisfactory range of covers to suit public demand.
Alternatively, an upholsterer may custom design and individually manufacture a fitted cover for each item of furniture, which usually requires that the item of furniture be taken away to the upholsterer""s premises. This is particularly true if the item of furniture has an unusual or distinctive style. A suitable pattern can be manually developed and a cover made and fitted accordingly. Importantly, the upholsterer often requires the item of furniture because such items include subtle and complex curves which require an exacting fit. Further, individual parts of a single cover often need to display a three-dimensional form which necessitates much trial and error in the fitting of the cover. However, this procedure can cause inconvenience to the owner of the furniture, who has to do without the item of furniture until such time as the cover has been finished and the item returned.
Some manufacturers have xe2x80x9cmeasurement formsxe2x80x9d of which FIG. 14 is a sample. These manufacturers have staff specially trained to design the templates from these forms and the skills needed can only be gained by experience, usually over a period of 12 months or more. Further, this skill is in the form of an art rather than a science and during this period of development, the productivity of staff involved is minimal. Even then, using this prior art technique experienced staff can take up to an 1 hour to design some templates. FIGS. 2A to 2G are other measuring forms used by other manufacturers and illustrate the diversity of styles of sofas.
It is therefore desirable to provide a means by which custom-fitted covers can be made without the need for the upholsterer to remove the item of furniture during the manufacture process. It is also desirable that each custom-fitted cover be made with a minimum of tolerance so as to provide a tight xe2x80x9cfittedxe2x80x9d appearance. It is also desirable to improve the efficiency in which custom fitted covers can be manufactured.
There is also a need for manufacture of covers for articles of uniform and non-uniform shape for substantially all types of cover related and skin related applications and processes. The process described herein may be applied to articles and processes requiring a covering or skin. Typical applications include, for example: car covers, sculpture covers, mold manufacturing processes, construction applications, house covers, tents, boat covers, upholstery, sheet metal ducting, table covers, luggage, suit cases, umbrella manufacturing, wall coverings, wall paper, and protective covers of all types. The covering or skin may be of fabric, sheet metal, rubber, thermoplastics, thermosetting polymers, fiberglass, or other suitable materials.
There is also a need for a process that allows an unskilled worker to produce a cover for a three dimensional article by producing a plurality of portions of the cover or a plurality of templates that may be adjoined or abutted one to the other to form the cover.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a cover for an article, which method includes the steps of:
a) ascertaining dimensional data of the article, and relating this data to individual portions of the article,
b) determining a group of physically inter-related templates which are associated with these individual portions, wherein each template is definable on a plane of co-ordinates and is derived from a series of mathematical functions evaluated using this data, and
c) using each template to form a corresponding cover piece and joining the cover pieces to form the cover.
Preferably, at least one of the portions is three-dimensional.
Preferably, one of the templates associated with the three-dimensional portion includes information about pleats.
Preferably, these templates also include information about tuck-aways, which tuck under or back of seat of the sofa, and turn-unders which are tied under the seat.
Preferably, this information also includes data about sofa cushions, valances, (which appear like a skirt below the seat) and allowance for the extension of stretch material.
Preferably, the templates can optionally be connected together and constructed as composite templates and can include information to enable the physical interrelationship to be sew fastened.
Optionally the information includes information about seams and positioning tabs.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of producing a set of templates being represented on at least one medium and for producing a cover for furniture, including the steps of:
a) transferring physical dimensional data of the furniture to a set of co-ordinate point arrangements, each point of which are interconnected by a graphical representation of a mathematical function;
b) supplementing each arrangement with a tolerance value; and
c) transferring each said arrangement to the medium.
Preferably, these templates are computationally determined and printed onto a medium used to define at least one portion of the cover, with each portion being produced using the template.
Preferably, these templates are computationally determined and directly transferred to a means for producing at least one portion of the cover.
Also optionally, these templates include a computer readable representation of this portion and the means for producing includes an automated cutting machine configurable to cut these portions.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer readable medium comprising a series of instructions operable by a computer to implement a method as recited above.
Preferably, this computer readable medium is selected from one of a magnetic disk, an optical disk or a computer network.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system of manufacturing a cover for an article this system includes
a) a means for receiving a series of dimensions corresponding to one or more predetermined parameters of the article;
b) a means for computing one or more configurations which can be joined to form a cover for the article, and
c) a means for producing one or more templates, corresponding to these one or more configurations, respectively.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for producing instructional diagrams with a personal computer. This system includes an input means for receiving and arranging data related to an article into arrays; a processing means for reading these arrays and for tabulating the data according to a pre-determined arrangement, including information about co-ordinate points and mathematical functions provided there between; and an output means for transferring a representation of this information into an instructional diagram.
The present invention may be implemented, using a computer or a network of computers, such as, for example, a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or global network, such as the Internet. For example, the present invention relates to the manufacture of covers for articles of furniture and discloses a method of manufacturing covers for chairs sofas and the like. When covers are fitted to a sofa of slightly varying style to a known sofa, an inappropriate fit is obtained which is not preferred. Because of the range of furniture styles available and because such styles may coincide with styles of times past, it is not economic to manufacture a satisfactory range of covers to suit public demand. Alternatively, an upholsterer may custom design an individual manufacture a fitted cover for each item of furniture which usually requires that the item be taken to the upholsterer""s premises. The present invention discloses a method of manufacturing a custom fitted cover without the need for the upholsterer to remove the item of furniture during the manufacturing process. It also enables the cover to be made with a minimum of tolerance and a tight-fitted appearance.
The present invention incorporates a process that allows an unskilled worker to produce a cover for a three dimensional article by producing a plurality of portions of the cover or a plurality of templates that may be adjoined or abutted one to the other to form the cover. The process as applied to upholstery is described below:
Upholsterers, interior decorators and householders (xe2x80x9cinterested partiesxe2x80x9d) will be invited over the Internet to advise the type of sofa, settee, or other furniture which they wish to cover. This will be done by showing the various styles of furniture and/or the manufacturers. Sub-menus will then display photographs and/or line drawings of the furniture chosen. In response to the interested parties, Front, Back and Profile forms as attached will be displayed illustrating the dimensions of the furniture to be covered. These forms which include help features explaining each of the dimensions needed, enable the interested party to respond with the relevant dimensions. Cross-checks of these dimensions will be made interactively advising the interested party where errors occur. The interested party can print the forms and use these to record measurements or if they prefer key in the details directly to the Internet.
Further sub-menus allow the interested party to choose from various options including stitching instructions, the presence of valances, cushions, tuckaways, turnunders and the joining of templates. At this stage the type of material such as cotton or stretch will be requested allowing adjustments to measurements where appropriate, and then patterns can be displayed allowing choices to be considered or made. Interior design options of curtains, carpets, etc., to complement the patterns chosen for the covers will also be offered. The interested party will then be asked to advise if they would like the templates necessary to produce this cover to be mailed to them so that they can sew their own cover or if they would like them to be produced by an upholsterer.
Prices for manufacturing and delivering the cover or template are communicated to the interested party. Payment details by credit card or other means are then requested from the interested party. An order form is then provided to the interested party to place the order online through the Internet.
A tiered structure allows upholsterers, fabric suppliers and converters to advertise over the Internet. This structure enables priority advertisements to be displayed more prominently than lower priority advertisements. The Internet system also allows connection of this system directly with the more prominent advertisements placed by particular upholsterers.
All the inquiries including names and addresses, styles of furniture and dimensions are archived. Periodical analyses are made of this archive. Fuzzy logic and other methods are used to recognize and group together orders which appear to require covers for the same model of furniture. As sufficient orders of a model are collected, it is be possible to determine correct measurements. This further helps the interested parties by advising default dimensions when these are input. It also provides the basis for long-term marketing, for example, a mail shot five years after purchase asking if replacement is needed for the five year old cover. Such replacement can be delivered at a reduced price as all the measurements and templates have been retained from the date of the original order.